mileandahalf,
I am happy to respond to your question, although I am certain I will come in for further abuse, but not to worry.
I should say that I do NOT know Mr Knight, I have NOT read what he is alledged to have said, and I am certainly NOT his spokesman, however, like everyone on this thread, I have an immense amount of respect and sympathy for him. He has worked tirerlessly since the accident and has come up against many brick walls along the way. Despite this, his efforts will, IMHO, make the Nimrod fleet a safer place.
I believe that HIS perception of this award (and please note HIS perception, not mine or anyone elses) is that Wg Cdr Cannard has been given this award as a direct result of the loss of XV230. I don't know if that is the case, clearly many think that it is for other things also, however I understand the citation clearly states that it is for his handling of things since the crash. If that is correct, then perhaps the fault lies with the citation, because I doubt very much if Wg Cdr Cannard was recognised just for his efforts post XV230 alone.
Either way, it dosen't really matter - he has been awarded it, and I, along with just about everyone else, has offered congratulations to him. Those who know him have spoken extremely highly of him, and I have no reason to doubt his calibre at all, or what he has done, so well done again to him and everyone else on CXX and ISK, because this has been a team effort without doubt.
Nevertheless, it has clearly caused concern for Mr Knight, in that he see's someone as effectively 'profiting' from the crash and whilst I don't agree with him, I believe that is the way he views it. I can see where he is coming from, especially if the wording on the citation states (as is reported) that it for his work post crash. I cannot ever recall, a Sqn Cdr receiving an award as a result of an aircraft crash, let alone a one which has had so much controversy attached to it, can anyone else I wonder?
Now, perhaps as a gesture of goodwill to everyone, could I suggest that we all get back to the real crux of this posting, and give Mr Knight a break from all this 'bad blood' and let him ponder for a while about what he did or didn't say? We all say things in the heat of the moment, that are both wrong and inapropriate and maybe this was one of those unfortunate times for Mr Knight. This is but one chapter in a very sad and tragic event, and I would respectfully request that we now put it to bed.
The Winco